Simple Past for Beginners
Read the following discussion using the simple past tense
Robert: Hi Alice, what did you do last weekend?
Alice: I did a lot of things. On Saturday, I went shopping.
Robert: What did you buy?
Alice: I bought some new clothes. I also played tennis.
Robert: Who did you play?
Alice: I played Tom.
Robert: Did you win?
Alice: Of course I won!
Robert: What did you do after your tennis match.
Alice: Well, I went home and took a shower and then went out.
Robert: Did you eat in a restaurant?
Alice: Yes, my friend Jacky and I ate at 'The Good Fork'
Robert: Did you enjoy your dinner?
Alice: Yes, we enjoyed our dinner very much thank you. We also drank some
wonderful wine!
Robert: Unfortunately, I didn't go out this weekend. I didn't eat in a restaurant
and I didn't play tennis.
Alice: What did you do?
Robert: I stayed home and studied for my test!
Alice: Poor you!
Examples Usage
Where did you go
yesterday?
The flight left at 8 o'clock.
They didn't come last
night.
Finished past actions, definite past
Common past time
expressions include:

Use the conjugated helping verb 'did' + subject + the base
form of the verb in question forms.
When Did
I
You
He
She
It
We
You
They
leave yesterday?
Try this past simple quiz.
Past Simple Quiz
1. Tom ……………………(buy) a new house last month.
2. When ………………………(they/arrive) last week?
3. She …………………………..(not/understand) the question yesterday.
4. Fred ………………………….(take) a lot of pictures on his holiday last summer.
5. What ……………………..(you/get) for your birthday?
6. They ……………………… (not remember)to get the bread this morning!
7. Alice…………………………… (play) tennis this morning.
8. Where…………………….. (you/go) last weekend?
9. I …………………………..(want) to buy that computer, but it was too expensive.
10. Why ……………………………(they/not/come)?